audrey

As a Highsmith fan, I'd already read most of these stories myself. I don't normally listen to stories but I got this Audible because in listening to another person read to you, you pick up different nuances to the story and somewhat of a different interpretation as well. That proved true here to great effect, although it can be a little jarring to have an idea of what a character sounds like in your head be different to that of the narrator's interpretation!

I think audio narrators should stick to making voices for only characters of their own gender. Pinchot mimicking women's voices and Campbell mimicking male voices was, for the most part, unintentionally hilarious. While it was entertaining it took away from the listening experience and from the story.

Pinchot uses the same slow drag which made different characters' dialogue run together. Campbell was all right, though I was disappointed in her "Carol" (The Price of Salt) voice which came off a little too nasally and high whereas in the story it's described as sultry and dark.

Aside from that, the narration was just fine.

I'd read Lolita on my own years ago but couldn't pass up the chance at hearing this as read by Jeremy Irons. It was worth it. From the infamous first line, Irons' rich velvety voice gliding over Nabokov's beautiful, stunning prose is a masterful combination.

Regardless of the exquisite language use by Nabokov, Lolita is a disturbing and tragic story. Not even the pleasantness of Irons' voice can disguise just how repulsive the narrator truly is. Yet, Nabokov writes Humbert Humbert with depth and even (a little) room for sympathy. Likewise, Irons captures this and gives HH a sense of humanity.